Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-11-28

No more unique, Obstructive, and at the
same time popular character stands before
tie people to-day than Ella Wheeler
| Wilcox.
| Born in 3 Wisconsin village some thirty
odd years ago, when Wisconsin was not
much more thsu frontier state, without
| Influential friends or family, and without
money, she made for herself & name in
literature which commanded attention
| before she was eighteen years old. To
one who knows it in det&il her history
reads like a f&irV story. Reared on g
western prairie, she Is an ornament 10
| the most brilliant circles OF the metrop-
Oils
She had never seen an editor or literary
person and knew nothing Of the methods
of getting into print when, ct fourteen,
she read her first production to the press.
The New York Mercury published these
childish efforts which were written in
prose snd under NOM de-plumes.
II declined the first poem she ever sent
for publication, ard the editor sarcastic
ally advised her to "crush her ambitions
to be poet"
The Wsverly Magazine has the honor
Wheeler to the public.
Frank Leslie sent her the first check
she ever received at seventeen years of
age.
From that tine TO the present day ST e
has never swerved nor fsltered in the
steady, hard climb toward success.
She never sent MANUSCRIPT IN her life
for criticism aud never asked for aid or
influence in her literary ventures.
During the lsst fifteen yesrs Ella
Wheeler has probably been the most crit
icised, abused, praised, misconstrued and
admired womsn in TIE literary world.
Without a particle of effort to create q
sensation, everything she has in that
time written has had the effect of stirring
up criticism.
Her writings seem to be possessed of q
certain something combustible in thei
composition, that on striking outer al
invariably rends it with more or less Of
an explosion.
Her first published book was "Drops Of
Wster," q collection of juvenile temp =
ance verses. These were crude but FL &c
with the dramatic enthusiasm which has go
permested her later work, and provoked
praise and ceneure in proportioDaie guam
liquor question.
"Saells," 8 little volume now out Of
print, comes next.
"Maurinne," by many considered her
finest work, srd the famous Poems Of
Passion which set the literary world on
fire, followed within three yekrs Of each
other.
Columns of abuse and praise items rid
iculing and eulogiziDg the latter volume
filed sll the papers in the country.
Some Of her friends urged her TO sup
press the book after its first appearance,
but strong IN The courage OF her convic-
tons, sic read the severe aud unjust re-
views through tears, not unmixed with
smiles at sight of the golden coins which
puuctusted the comments Of the critics.
Many of these dollars were spent In
building home for aging parents, and
much OF the halo now surrounding this
remarkable woman's life is the reflection
Of the generous deeds Of her early monied
life.
Milwaukee people gave her "beneft"
10 May, 1883, when she was inside the sub
jet of speech by United States Sena-
tor and YVES presented with china basket
cor tanning $500 in gold.
Long before her happy marriage in May,
1884, with the elegant and cultivated gen
tlemsn who brought her to the east. b. r
naue was household word and she vs.
W leone guest in the best circles OF tie
gres northeast. -
To her rare genius we're added unusual
graces of person. She was a brilli.nt
and tactfal talker, q goot dancer, and q